Cydia

According to anticipated details on Apple’s next iPad reported by The Wall Street Journal, the fifth-generation full-size iPad will employ the same thin touch sensor that Apple first introduced last year in the iPad mini. This is expected to help allow the device to be thinner and lighter than its predecessors, a general trend in product refreshes.

Up until now, Apple’s existing full-size iPad has used GG touch technology. The new GF2 screen will help with not only make the device thinner and lighter but also help reduce power consumption, allowing Apple to use a smaller battery and once again aid in reducing the size and weight of the tablet.

The recent report cited unnamed sources who indicated the same “film-based touch panel” found in the iPad mini to make its way to the fifth-generation iPad. The company behind the technology, Nitto Denko Corp., plans to double its capacity for touch sensors by the end of this fiscal year to help accommodate for production.

The next-generation iPad is expected to take several design cues from the iPad mini including a thinner bezel on the sides of the device allowing the overall frame to become smaller while still offering the same 9.7-inch display. It’s also possible that the fifth-generation iPad will include stereo speakers like the iPad mini. There have been a number of parts leaks corroborating the rumors that the next full-size iPad will essentially look like a bigger iPad mini. It’s expected that Apple could potentially introduce the fifth-generation iPad as soon as September but we’ll just have to wait and see.